1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to voltage generation and, more particularly, to voltage generation internal to memory systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Memory cards are commonly used to store digital data for use with various products (e.g., electronics products). Examples of memory cards are flash cards that use Flash type or EEPROM type memory cells to store the data. Flash cards have a relatively small form factor and have been used to store digital data for products such as cameras, hand-held computers, set-top boxes, hand-held or other small audio players/recorders (e.g., MP3 devices), and medical monitors. A major supplier of flash cards is SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional memory system 100. The conventional memory system 100 represents, for example, a memory card (e.g., flash card). The conventional memory system 100 includes a memory controller 102 and memory chips 104-110. The number of memory chips 104-110 is dependent upon the storage capacity to be provided by the conventional memory system 100. The memory controller 102 receives an input voltage (VIN) 112 and an Input/Output (I/O) bus 114. The memory controller 102 operates to supply an address/data/control bus 116 to each of the memory chips 104-110. In addition, the memory controller 102 produces a chip select (CS) signals 118 that is provided to chip enable (CE) terminals of each of the memory chips 104-110. The memory controller 102 uses the chip select signals 118 to selectively activate one of the memory chips 104-110 that is to be accessed for data storage or retrieval. In addition, since the memory chips 104-110 require various voltage levels for operation, the memory controller 102 includes a charge pump and regulation circuit 120. The charge pump and regulation circuit 120 is centrally provided in the memory controller 102 and produces several different output voltage levels that are supplied to each of the memory chips 104-110 over a voltage supply 122. As an example, the input voltage (VIN) 112 might be 3.3 or 1.8 Volts and the different output voltage levels might be 3 Volts, 6 Volts, 12 Volts and 24 Volts.
Although the memory system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is suitable for high speed and high capacity usage, there have been problems in fabricating the memory controller 102 of the memory system 100. In particular, there exists only a limited number of semiconductor fabrication foundries that are able to and desirous of fabricating the memory controller 102 with the charge pump and regulator 120 incorporated therein. The charge pump and regulator circuit 120 requires high voltage devices and thus a more sophisticated fabrication process is required when fabricating the memory controller 102. Given the limited availability of foundries for fabricating the memory controller 102, it is desired to find alternative ways to produce a memory system that operates with high speed and high capacity yet avoids the need for sophisticated processing of the memory controller 102 so that more fabrication foundries are available.
One solution is to remove the charge pump and regulator 120 from the memory controller 102. This results in the memory controller 102 being substantially easier to fabricate and thus opens its fabrication up to numerous available foundries. The charge pump and regulator circuitry therefore need to be provided elsewhere within the memory system. In one approach, the charge pump and regulator circuitry can be provided within each memory chip. However, providing charge pump and regulator circuitry within the memory chips is not burdensome because the memory chip is already a sophisticated integrated circuit device that utilizes a sophisticated processing, particularly non-volatile (e.g., FLASH) memories. However, during operation, a problem results from the noise generated by the high voltage devices within the charge pump and regulator circuit. As a result, delicate analog circuitry within the memory chips is disturbed by this noise and therefore causes the performance of the memory chip to be slowed in order to compensate for the added noise.
Thus, there is a need for improved approaches for including charge pump and regulator circuitry within memory systems which do not limit foundry availability and which do not compromise performance.
Broadly speaking, the invention relates to techniques for producing and supplying various voltage levels within a memory system having multiple memory blocks (e.g., memory chips) and a controller chip. The various voltage levels can be produced by charge pump and regulator circuitry within the memory system. The various voltage levels can be supplied to the multiple memory blocks through a power bus. The memory system is suitable for high performance operation and foundry availability for controller fabrication is not hindered by the presence of voltage (supply) generation circuitry.
The invention can be implemented in numerous ways including, a system, device, or method. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
As a memory system for storing data, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: a memory controller; a plurality of memory blocks operatively connected to the memory controller, each of the memory blocks including at least data storage elements and a voltage generation system; and a power bus operatively connected to the charge pump circuit for each of the memory blocks. During operating of the memory system, when one of the memory blocks is activated, the voltage generation system circuit within the one of the memory blocks is deactivated and instead another of the voltage generation system associated with another of the memory blocks is activated to supply different voltage level signals to the one of the memory blocks via the power bus. As a memory system, another embodiment of the invention includes at least: a first memory block including at least first data storage elements and a first charge pump circuit; a second memory block including at least second data storage elements and a second charge pump circuit; a memory controller operatively connected to the first memory block and the second memory block, the memory controller producing at least one select signal, the at least one select signal being used in selective activation of the first and second memory blocks; and a power bus operatively connecting the first charge pump circuit and the second charge pump circuit.
As a method for power generation within a memory system having a plurality of memory blocks, with each of the memory blocks including a power generation circuit, one embodiment of the invention includes at least the acts of: activating one of the memory blocks for data access while the other of the memory blocks are deactivated; activating one of the power generation circuits residing in one of the memory blocks that is deactivated; and supplying power from the one of the power generation circuits that is activated to the one of the memory blocks that is activated.
As a memory chip, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: a plurality of data storage elements for storage of data; and a power generation circuit for generating power signals. The memory chip includes a chip enable for enable/disable of the data storage elements of the memory chip, and the memory chip includes a charge pump enable for enable/disable of the power generation circuit.
As a memory system, another embodiment of the invention includes at least: a first memory block means for storing data in first data storage elements and for producing first power signals; a second memory block means for storing data in second data storage elements and for producing second power signals; a memory controller operatively connected to the first memory block means and the second memory block means, the memory controller producing at least one select signal, the at least one select signal being used in selective activation of the first and second memory block means; and a power bus for supplying either the first power signals to the second memory block means or the second power signals to the first memory block means.
As an electronic system, one embodiment of the invention includes at least: a data acquisition device; and a data storage device removably coupled to the data acquisition unit. The data storage device stores data acquired by the data acquisition device. The data storage device including at least: a memory controller; a plurality of memory blocks operatively connected to the memory controller, each of the memory blocks including at least data storage elements and a voltage generation system; and a power bus operatively connected to the charge pump circuit for each of the memory blocks. During operating of the data storage device, when one of the memory blocks is activated, the voltage generation system within the one of the memory blocks is deactivated and instead another of the voltage generation systems associated with another of the memory blocks is activated to supply different voltage level signals to the one of the memory blocks via the power bus.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.